Celebrating mamá with a family favorite this Mother’s Day

This is part of a sponsored collaboration with The National Hispanic Milk Life Campaign and DiMe Media. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

This Mother’s Day we are feeling a bit nostalgic. Our moms have given us so much and spent so much time taking care of us that it’s always kind of hard not to get a little sentimental remembering all the things they’ve done for us. So every year when Mother’s Day comes around it gets harder and harder to get them just the right gift to express how much we appreciate them.

Sure flowers, balloons, and chocolates are great, but what about if you want to give mamá something a little more personal this year?

We decided to stir up a family favorite full of great memories from our childhood for this very special occasion. Arroz con leche, or more commonly known as perhaps, rice pudding. Honestly, we didn’t even know that is what it was called in English until we were adults. Our families still refer to arroz con leche a lot of times simply as atole.

Whatever you call it, the fact is arroz con leche is pretty delicious. It’s right up there as one of our favorite desserts for any occasion. That it is made with milk is even better. Edgar is a huge milk drinker and he knows why he enjoys it too. Ever since he started playing sports a few years ago he’s kind of insisted we always keep milk stocked in the refrigerator.

“It’s good for me,” he says.

And well, truth be told, milk is the top food source for three of the four nutrients most likely to be missing from kids’ diets (no matter how big) – calcium, vitamin D and potassium. For a growing boy that is good stuff. We also like the fact that an 8-ounce glass of milk contains 9 essential nutrients, including B vitamins for energy, protein for lean muscle, vitamin A for a healthy immune system and bone-building nutrients.

It’s also quite versatile as an ingredient.

So back to our arroz con leche recipe. Here’s what you’ll need.

Ingredients

1 cup of rice

2 cups of water

2 cups of milk

3 cinnamon sticks

2 tablespoons of sugar

2 tablespoons of condensed milk

1 drop of vanilla extract

raisins

walnuts

candied pecans

Instructions

In a medium saucepan add 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of water

Place the saucepan over heat

Bring the water and rice to a boil

Add 2 cups of milk once the saucepan is boiling

Cook for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the rice does not stick

Add 2 tablespoons of sugar

Add 2 table spoons of condensed milk

Add 1 drop of vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally

When the consistency of the rice pudding is thickened, add a handful of raisins

Turn down heat and continue stirring the rice pudding

Serve and add toppings to your flavor

I love raisins, walnuts, candied pecans, and more on my arroz con leche. Sometimes even bananas. Juan, on the other hand, prefers his plain and simple. Just the taste of cinnamon and rice pudding is enough, he says.

Here’s a fun video I made of my arroz con leche making process. I hope you enjoy it and that you have a wonderful Mother’s Day spending time with mamá.